Stabilizing and guide apparatus for lifter roof tanks



ug- 2 1949- D. E. LARsoN 2,477,630

. A STABILIZING AND GUIDE APPARATUS FOR LIFTER ROOF TANKS Filed July51., 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 2, 1949. D. E. LARsoN 2,477,530

STABILIZING AND GUIDE APPARATUS FOR LIFTER ROOF TANKS Filed July 31,194e 2 sheets-sheet 2 ffy. 4.

/Z If /PI//f/j/ yf/Ma m/ 'if ff ff Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITEDY STATESPATENT OFFICE 2,417,63 STAB'ILIZNG AD GUIDE A'PPR'ATUS FOR LIFTERROOFTANKS gDonald E. Laren, Eureka Galia assistons `Cir-V cagoBridge & `IronCompany, acorpbratioi'r of Illinois Application July 31, 194e, semi-Nb.687,408 siciaims'. (or. isi-:rrd

This invention relates to a lifter roof tank, and particularly to astabilizing and guide apparatus for a lifter roof tank. y l I Lifterroof tanks `comprise a shell and a lifter roof thereover designed torise and fall with increasing and decreasing pressure within the Thetanks are Adesigned for the storage oi gas or mixtures of liquid andgas, and are provided either with a flexibleY sealing member between theshell and the roof or a liquid trap between the shell and the roof toprevent escape of the stored gases. When ilexible sealing members areused this is ordinarily known as a dry seal. The flexible sealing memberis ordinarily a fabric impregnated with a flexible impervious materialsuch as synthetic rubber. I

With tanksA of this type it is ordinarily necessary that means beprovided for guiding a roof during its travel and for stabilizing theroof so that unequal loads will not cause tipping of the.

roof. Various stabilizing and guide means have been proposed., but notall of these have been entirely satisfactory. It is also common practiceto provide safety release valves, gauges, and other equipment with thesetanks.

In the present invention improved stabilizing and guide means have beenprovided, with these means broadly comprising a plurality ofsubstantially parallel depending arms rotatably attached at their upperends to the roof, with each arm rotatably attached at its lower end to alongitudinally movable elongated member. Each elongated member isarranged adjacent the shell and has the shape of a section of a helix,with all elongated members being at substantially the same acute anglewith respect to the horizontal, and all extending in the same direction.Guide members are provided on the shell for guiding each of theelongated members in its longitudinal path. There are also providedguide means between the roof and the shell for preventing rotation ofthe roof as it rises and falls.

The invention will be described as related to the embodiment shown inthe accompanying drawings. Of the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of alifter roof tank embodying the invention with the roof in its highestposition; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the roof in its lowestposition; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the tank with portionsbroken away for Iclarity of illustration; and Fig. 4 is a verticalsection taken along line ll--ll of Fig. 3.

The lifter roof tank shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a.shell I0, a lifter roof ll thereover, a depending skirt l2 attached to2.. the roof around the outer edge thereof and extending beyond theshell l0, and aufleXible sealing member i3 extending between the skirtl2 and thevtop ofthe shelll Il).

spaced around the bottom of the skirt l2 are a plurality ofhorizo-ntal-brackets it extending inwardly, with their ends adjacenttheA shell l0 and supported by diagonal-braces i5. On each bracket lilthere is located downwardly extending arm It having its top endrotatably attached to the bracket through depending plates ll and a lpinI8. Thejbottoinend of each depending arm i6 isl rotatably attached# to ahorizontal rod i9 passing through a hole at the loweriiattened end 2liof the arm I6. Around the shell ofthe tank, but spaced therefronr,lthere lis located; a structural member 2l formed of straight lengths ofpipe having their ends coupled together by couplings 22 to form aregular polygon. Each horizontal; rod-I9V has' its cuter end attached toa couplingvv 2 2 at theVV apex or the polygon.

O n the innerend of each horizontal rod i9 there is located alongitudinally movably elongated member 23` arranged at an angle ofapproximately 45 with respect to the horizontal, with all said membersextending in the same direction around the tank. Each structural memberhas the shape of a section of a helix and is of channel cross-sectionhaving inner edges 24 extending toward each other but separated to forman elongated slot. Mounted within each channel 23 is a top roller 25 anda bottom roller 26. These rollers are arranged substantially parallel tothe shell and mounted on horizontal posts 2l and 28. The posts extendthrough the slot formed by the inner edges of the channel 23, and areeach mounted on a at plate 29 attached to the shell. Each correspondingpair of rollers 25 and 26 is aligned at substantially 45 with respect tothe horizontal. The top roller 25 is at substantially the middle of thechannel 23 when the roof is in its highest position, and is at the topof the channel when the roof is in its lowest position. The bottomroller 26 is at the bottom of the channel when the roof is in itshighest position and at the middle of the channel when the roof is atits lowest position.

In order to prevent rotation of the roof as it rises and falls and tomaintain a vertical path of travel for the roof there is provided athird roller 30 on the inner end of each horizontal bracket I4. Theselatter rollers are arranged ilat and adjacent the shell, and are guidedin vertical guide members. The vertical guide members for each roller 30comprise a pair of angle irons 3l with one angle 3 iron on one side ofthe roller and the other angle iron on the other side of the roller.Each angle iron is arranged substantially vertically and has one edgeattached to the shell and the other edge over the roller.

As the roof rises and falls the rotation of the roof is prevented byreason of the rollers 30 and their vertical guide members. The roof ismaintained substantially horizontal at all times by means of thedepending arms I6, polygonal structural member 2|, and inclinedelongated guide members 23.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment set out inthe accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be notlimited by any of the details of description unless otherwise specified,but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set outin the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a lifter roof tank comprising a shell, a roof and a dependingskirt therefrom, stabilizing and guide means comprising a plurality ofsubstantially parallel depending arms all substantially equal in lengthrotatably attached at their upper ends to the depending skirt with eacharm being pivotally attached at its lower end to the apex of asubstantially horizontal member of polygonal shape extending around theshell but spaced therefrom, said lower ends of the depending arms beingalso attached to helical guides, all said helical guides being atsubstantially the same acute angle with respect to the horizontal andall extending in the same direction, and each helical guide alwaysengaging at least two guide members on the shell wall and a separatevertical guide means between the roof and shell for preventing rotationof the roof as it rises and falls.

2. The stabilizing and guide means of claim 1 in which said helicalguides are each arranged at substantially 45 with respect to thehorizontal.

3. The stabilizing and guide means of claim 1 wherein the Vertical guidemeans comprise a plurality of vertical guides with each of said guidesattached to the roof above a helical guide, and a plurality of secondguide members on the shell of the tank for guiding each of said verticalguides.

4. The stabilizing and guide means of claim 1 wherein the lower end ofeach arm is attached to a helical guide at substantially the center ofsaid guide.

5. The stabilizing and guide means of claim 1 wherein the guide membersfor each helical guide comprise a pair of rollers attached to the shellwith each roller being substantially parallel to the shell at its pointof attachment and in which each helical guide is of channelcross-section surrounding the rollers, one of said rollers beingsubstantially at the top and the other being substantially at the middleof its helical guide when the roof is in its lowest position.

6. In a lifter roof tank comprising a shell, a roof and a dependingskirt therefrom, stabilizing and guide means comprising a plurality ofsubstantially parallel depending arms all substantially equal in lengthand rotatably attached at their upper ends to the depending skirt witheach arm being pivotally attached at its lower end to a substantiallyhorizontal member of annular shape extending around the shell but spacedtherefrom, helical guides connected to the horizontal member, and guidemembers on the shell wall, all said helical guides being atsubstantially the same acute angle with respect to the horizontal andall extending inthe same direction and each helical guide alwaysengaging a guide member on the shell wall.

DONALD E. LARSON.

No references cited.

